The independent testing commissioned by Fish and Game has raised red flags for public health officials who say that it
needs more investigation.

Samples were collected from above and below the biggest farms - all dairy - on the Ashley, Selwyn and Rangitata rivers
in May and September and independently tested by Massey University's Institute of Agriculture and Environment.

Fish and Game commissioned the testing after anglers started questioning whether they could get infected from the river
pollution and large numbers of dairy cows in Canterbury.

The findings showed the presence of an antibiotic-resistant E. coli and another dangerous strain of the bacteria called
Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC).

The two most common E. coli found in the testing come only from ruminants such as cows.

Fish and Game chief executive Martin Taylor said the first tests were so alarming it commissioned a second round to
confirm the findings.

It it showed the contamination of Canterbury waterways was primarily due to intensive dairy farming, he said.

"The results indicate swimming in these rivers could be like playing Russian roulette with the health of you and your
family," he said.

University of Otago professor of public health Michael Baker said STEC produced a toxin which could make you ill even if
you swallowed only a few organisms.

The bacteria was almost absent from New Zealand 25 years ago, but the number of cases had risen rapidly in the last
three years. In the last 12 months around 750 people had become sick around the country, and Dr Baker said it was
particularly common in young children living in rural areas.

"This is one of the most severe forms of diarrhoeal disease you can get in New Zealand."

He said the bacteria was a serious worry for New Zealand.

Dr Baker said about a quarter of people who got infected were hospitalised and about 10 percent would get haemolytic
uraemic syndrome which damaged kidneys, particularly in children.

"Some of these children infected will need renal dialysis and it can have long-term effects," he said.

He is recommending people to take precautions if they go swimming, such as not putting their heads under water.

"We know that these bacteria can cause infections in humans and the fact that they appear, on the face of it, to be so
common in these waterways certainly raises concerns that people may obviously be exposed to these organisms and become
sick."

He said to his knowledge, it was the first time antibiotic resistant genes had been found in water in New Zealand and
this needed to be investigated further because they could spread and make their way into hospitals.

Mr Taylor said the proper authorities urgently needed to undertake more testing to establish the extent of the problem,
along with action to ensure people were kept safe.

Canterbury Regional Council said it was committed to working with other organisations, including Fish and Game, to
protect and improve water quality.

It said its weekly recreational water quality monitoring, which included sites on the Ashley and Selwyn rivers, showed
they were safe to swim.

Environment Minister, David Parker, told Morning Report since last year's Havelock North Water Inquiry, the government has worked on upgrading the testing of drinking water.

But he said dairy and beef cattle remain a significant part of the problem.

"In parts of New Zealand the level of intensity of farming in close proximity to waterways has gone too far and has
caused these adverse effects.

"I was visiting a catchment where a group of farmers were coming together to try and help fix the problem, but I was
told by the regional council that 90 percent of the farmers in the area were fully in compliance with their resource
consents and plan rules, and despite that there were problems, which shows that tightening the rules is part of the
answer."

Dr Parker said the ministry's Essential Freshwater Taskforce is working towards making a 'noticeable difference' in
waterways.

"There'll be an updated national policy statement, plus a national environment standard which will have rules around
some of the riskier practices.

"Part of the problems are some pretty aggressive farming practices in some parts of the country. Most farmers are up for
improving these things, but there are some who are laggards and those laggards have to effectively be forced to comply
with the law.

"[Just] changing the law doesn't fix the problem, you've actually got to have a change in land use practice on the land,
which is causing the problem. On that I thought that the Fish and Game's (response) was of a different tone than it was
a year ago, reflecting the fact that, a lot of the farm leaders, not all of the farm leaders, but a lot of the farm
leaders have actually recognised that this problem has got too bad and they are up for the land use change."

Dr Parker said over time, he believes the type of land use near waterways will change.

"One of the ways we want to encourage that is to go to higher value land uses rather than cause the economy to tank,
whilst meeting the environmental bottom line.

"In some parts of South Canterbury for example ... you will see, I think over time, movement back into mixed farming,
including cropping, in some areas horticulture, which per hectare of land farmed are actually higher returning."

New Zealand's public broadcaster, providing comprehensive NZ news and current affairs, specialist audio features and documentaries.

Radio New Zealand is a Crown entity established under the Radio New Zealand Act 1995. Radio New Zealand News are vital
elements in our programming, providing impartial news and information to New Zealanders every day. Radio New Zealand
(RNZ) provides listeners with exciting and independent radio programmes in accordance with the Radio New Zealand
Charter.

In the face of Boris Johnson’s latest provocations, the best response for Remainers
and Tory rebels alike would be… to do nothing at all. Everyone needs to step back
and let Johnson have his ‘no deal’ Brexit

As part of a larger crackdown on the ongoing protests in Hong Kong, Chief Executive
Carrie Lam has suggested that her administration would consider using legacy emergency
legal powers to allow the Government of Hong Kong to censor, disrupt, and block social ...

It may help to think of the October 31 ‘no deal’ Brexit as a warm, rascally puppy.
And British PM Boris Johnson has made it clear that he will shoot that puppy, unless
someone stops him. Look, Johnson is as good as saying, here I go across the room ...

Should we prioritise indigenous species? What should we do about rats, deer and trout?
Should we use 1080? What about the Treaty of Waitangi: what should be done to enable
kaitiakitanga? Should there be incentives for private landowners to protect and restore ...

The Scoop Ecosystem has grown bigger with the launch of The Dig - a new public interest,
in-depth, Engaged Journalism platform. The Dig will be 100% funded by donations to
the Scoop Foundation and profits from Scoop Publishing once it breaks even. It will ...